When It Rains
by thedorkmistress
Summary: Sequel: Four days after that night in her apartment, Carter is finding it hard to come to terms with the new dynamic her and Reese's partnership has turned into.
1. When It Rains

Back again with another fic! This time it's a lot less steamer than what I've been writing, but I enjoyed writing it. It's takes place a little after episode 17 "Baby Blue", picking up on Carter's departure. I like to thank my buddy Mizliz on Tumblr for helping me edit this story, and I hope you all enjoy it!

Desclaimer: I do not own Person of Interest or the characters. I just own the plot. :)

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><p><strong>When It Rains<strong>

The days following the Moretti incident were rough. Detective Szymanski died from his gunshot wound that day, and as a result, Detective Carter was unjustly blamed for it. Never mind the fact it was Elias' thugs who had killed him, but apparently, it was Carter's negligence and involvement with Moretti that had killed Szymanski as well. Quarantined to suspension desk work by Captain Lynch and feeling the resentment from her fellow officers left Carter feeling stressed and frustrated.

Yet, there was only one person who had truly hurt her in this, and that person was Reese. Carter still couldn't understand why Reese had been _that_ desperate, especially when there were other options. But why did he feel Elias was worth the risk?

The constant thinking about it was driving Carter crazy, often putting her into a terrible mood; much like the one she was in tonight. Clicking her pen, she slapped it against the folder on her desk and, for maybe the umpteenth time, yanked open the drawer that held the cell phone Reese had given her so long ago. It was still in service and had several unheard voice-mail messages. But what could she have said to him? What _was _there to say to him?

"Carter?"

Shoving the drawer closed, Carter looked across her desk, and saw Fusco staring at her.

"_What_," she asked, irritated, as she made herself busy with stacking paperwork.

"Go home, Carter," Fusco said. "You look like crap."

"Thanks, but I'm fine," lied Carter, knowing very well she wasn't. In fact, she was exhausted. But work was keeping her mind off things.

"You're not fooling anyone, Carter. Just do us all a favor and go home," Fusco said, and rose from his desk.

Carter watched him leave, feeling somewhat annoyed. Was it even obvious to _Fusco_ that something was wrong? _Was_ there something wrong? Running her hands through her dark hair, she continued to work for another hour before calling it quits completely. She packed her unfinished paperwork into her file drawer, and took the rest to Captain Lynch's office. Fetching her purse from the station's locker room, Carter waved the remaining officers goodbye and made her way outside.

It was raining; the wet drops falling over the city as a storm brewed above. Using her purse as a makeshift umbrella, Carter hurried across the parking lot to her car. For once, she was glad Taylor was at his grandmother's, because tonight, she needed some personal time to herself—a chance to finally mull over all that had happened.

Arriving at her apartment, Carter parked her car and took a minute to sit and listen to the rain. The drops thumbed against the car's roof in an almost rhythmic pattern, meshing with the thunder as it rumbled in the distance. Exhaling sharply, Carter grabbed her purse once more and climbed out of the car, heading for the stoop steps to her apartment. However, she faltered when she saw a familiar face standing by the door. After frantically looking up and down the street, Carter marched herself up the wet steps and harshly yelled out over the rain, "What are you doing here?"

"It's nice to meet you too, Detective," Reese responded rather sardonically. "You've been avoiding my calls."

She glowered, four weeks of pent up anger bubbling to the surface as she said, "I thought I told you—!

Interrupting her midsentence with a rise of his leather gloved hands, he said, "About that. We really _do_ need to talk, Carter."

"Jesus, for how long were you—wait what," Carter questioned bewildered. Who did he think he was saying that _they_ needed to talk? As far as Carter was concerned, they stopped talking four weeks ago. "You have a lot of balls showing up here, you know that right?"

Reese annoyingly remained quiet, his eyes glancing away from her as if what she said had been juvenile. Unfortunately, that only fueled Carter's anger even more, and she stood there, tightly gripping her slick purse to contain it. However, taking in Reese's soaked appearance; she couldn't help but feel a twinge of remorse. How long had he been out here?

"Fine," Carter said, digging through her coat for her keys, "But you have five minutes."

Walking into her apartment, Carter tossed her wet purse onto the side table by the door and proceeded to shrug off her coat. Reese followed in after her, closing the door behind him, but remained where he stood. She stared at him quizzically at first, but then noticed the wet puddle on the floor. He was probably being considerate, staying where he was, and as of now, Carter was happy he had made that decision. Regardless of how pathetic he looked, she had no desire of inviting him any further into her apartment.

Hanging up her coat, she stood in front of Reese and crossed her arms over her chest, "Five minutes."

"I came—we want to apologize," Reese started off, but right off the bat Carter doubted that was true. She was almost certain Reese had come via his own omission; his friend probably not knowing he was even here. However, this wasn't what she _wanted_ to hear from him.

"I don't want an apology, John," she said. "I just want to know _why_ you felt the need to do what you did."

"I told you I had no choice."

"And I told you that there was a choice! _I_ was that choice, John!"

Silence soon fell between them with Carter holding herself to quell her anger and Reese looking distantly away. Sighing roughly, though, Carter finally replied, "Why wasn't I worth the risk?"

"You were an asset that we—that _I_ didn't want to lose," Reese told, rather coldly.

She frowned. "An asset? I thought I was a _partner_."

"In the beginning, I thought that was all you were…to me. An asset," Reese struggled, his features contorting into confusion and uncertainty. The look bothered Carter. It was something she wasn't expecting from him. "But Carter, you became more than that. You became needed—irreplaceable..."

His voice trailed off then, and once again, he refused to look at her. Carter bit into her bottom lip and stared at him, her eyes following the wet drops running down his face and from his hair. He was getting to her, and he was doing it by being honest. Reese might have been uncomfortable with it, but Carter knew when someone was sincere—it was her job.

"Do you remember when I had told you your moral compass…was pointed in the right direction," he suddenly questioned.

Carter gulped and shifted her feet, "I do…"

"Well, I still think it is…_Joss_," he said softly.

Turning around, Carter retreated down the hallway. She needed a distraction, but more importantly, she needed to stall. Five minutes be damned, there was no getting around this—whatever _this _was. Entering her bathroom, she grabbed two large towels from the cabinet and took them back to the front room.

"Here, you look awful," Carter said awkwardly, and handed Reese the two towels. "Dry off."

"You're getting a little soft, Carter," Reese commented, a ghost of a smile spreading on his lips as he ran the towel through his hair.

Carter rolled her eyes in response, but quickly vacated the room when she caught herself staring. The last thing she wanted was to be swayed by attraction. Walking into the kitchen, she switched on the coffee machine and poured in some coffee grounds. She needed to stay calm, and coffee was her genius solution. Grabbing two cups from the kitchen cabinet, she sat them down onto the counter and called out, "How do you take your coffee?"

"Any way is fine," Reese answered with a slight grunt. "I have no preference."

Carter raised a doubtful eyebrow, but took out the bottle of cream anyway; he'll just have to do with lots of cream and lots of sugar. Returning to the front room, she found Reese with several things removed from his person. A whole set of weaponry was laid onto the side table next to her purse while his wet coat was hung on the coat rack. He had folded his suit jacket and dress shirt and sat them onto the floor, leaving him in just his thin white undershirt and dark slacks. His usual styled grayed hair was a wild mess on top of his head with several strands sticking out in all sorts of directions, giving him a very wild look. He was mostly dry, but shivering, trying to hide the fact with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't worry, the coffee will be done in a minute," Carter said, grabbing his attention.

He smiled, "I'm fine."

"You…you want to sit down or something," Carter gestured to her small living room.

"I thought I was quarantined here," Reese pointed out with a smirk, "and I'm still a little wet."

"I've…changed my mind," she said carefully, because she honestly couldn't explain why she had the slight change of heart. However, she wasn't making any promises—at least not yet. "The couch will dry, and I'm tired of standing."

In that moment, the coffee machine finally rang. Excusing herself, Carter reentered the kitchen and began preparing the two coffees. She was still stalling, their discussion seemingly long forgotten in the wake of casual conversation. However, it had hardly left her mind. If anything, she was more confused now than she was on that day. Her decision back then had been based on her merits as a cop, but it was also because she had felt untrusted. For a man who had told her she wasn't alone, he had made it sure to keep her isolated during that situation. Was _that_ Reese's real intention all along?

"I just don't know," Carter murmured quietly, and with the two coffee cups in hand, turned to head into the living room. However, she was caught off guard when she found Reese standing within the archway of her kitchen. She jerked backwards from the surprise, and nearly dropped the two cups in the process with some of the coffee spilling onto the tiled floor, "_Shit!_"

"Did I startle you," Reese asked amused.

"I thought I told you to sit in the living room."

"I wasn't aware that was a demand, _Detective_."

They were at it again: the back and forth banter. And although she enjoyed it, this was not the place or the time for it. Sitting the cups back onto the counter, Carter ripped a piece of towel paper from its roll and ran it through warm water, determined to clean up the mess on her own. However, once again, Reese surprised her, and took the paper towel from her, wiping up the mess himself. She stared with a mixture of warmth and annoyance, more so at herself than toward him.

"You didn't have to do that," she told, watching him throw away the soiled paper towel.

"I wanted to," he said, turning toward her with a small smile and a shrug.

Carter huffed and lifted one of the coffees from the counter. Taking a slow sip of it, she was glad to find it still warm. She kept drinking as Reese went to the sink and washed his hands; her eyes wandering down his shoulders and along his back, noticing the old wounds that peeked through his undershirt. Wiping his hands clean, Reese turned around and grabbed the remaining coffee, taking a drink of it himself as he kept his gaze on Carter.

Grunting softly, he replied, "This is good, Carter."

"Thanks. It keeps you awake," she answered in good humor. "You don't get much sleep doing what I do, but it's worth it."

"Was working with us worth it…Joss," Reese questioned quietly as he rested against the counter and sat his coffee down. "Do you regret it?"

Carter ran a finger around the rim of her cup, "I don't regret it, John. I wouldn't have agreed to do this if I had regretted it. We did…fine work, but you and your friend crossed the line. And something like that just doesn't get fixed overnight."

"I wish it did…"

Reese sounded considerably selfish then, but the remark was far from daunting. His features softened and he took a leisurely step towards Carter, "I'm sorry, Joss."

Carter gulped, "I…I thought I told you that I didn't want an apology."

She was nervous, licking her lips and gripping her cup tight as she stared up at him. She was trying to figure out where this was going, but Reese was giving her no hints. Carter was effectively left in the dark.

"I'm not apologizing for what happened, Joss," he told, standing inches apart from her. "I'm apologizing for disappointing you, for giving you the impression you didn't matter, and for betraying your trust."

Carter was speechless, her eyebrows rising in shock as her mouth fell open slightly. If it wasn't for the iron grip she had on her coffee, she would have dropped it. Keeping her gaze, Reese brought his hand forward and grazed his fingers lightly through her hair. Carter sucked in a deep breath, feeling something vague yet familiar swell inside her chest from the touch.

"Y-You…" Carter began quietly, but her words dropped off when Reese suddenly leaned closer.

It was obvious where this was going now, but Carter had no desire of stopping it. She wanted to not think about it—to just let go. Leaning in close herself, Carter shut her eyes, feeling his breath tickle her face as he grew nearer. However, before Reese's lips could touch hers, a phone rang. The ringing came from Reese's pants, his cell phone ringing loud and insistently in the now embarrassing silence. Pulling away from him, Carter quickly drank the rest of her coffee and asked, "You…going to get that?"

Shoving his hand into his pocket, Reese pulled out the cell phone and answered it. Carter watched from the side, absentmindedly playing with her coffee cup as she went over what _almost_ happened between them. Maybe they had gotten carried away, the almost-kiss resulting from their emotions needing an outlet. However, Carter doubted if that was true.

"Uh…Carter?"

Looking at Reese, Carter saw him give her an apologetic smile, waving the phone in his hands as he replied, "I've been caught."

"I figured as much," she told, a smile pulling on her lips as she turned to place her cup into the sink. "So…"

"I'll wait, Joss," he said cryptically, but Carter knew exactly what he was referring to.

"You make it sound like I _will_ come back," Carter said, turning around to look at him indignantly only to feel his lips against her forehead. Her eyes widened a dumbfounded look on her face as Reese pulled away from her.

"Think about it Joss," he said through a gentle smile. "We both have our differences, but I can always…adjust."

He walked off then, rummaging around in the front room to what Carter assumed was him redressing. Blinking out of her stupor, she sauntered back into the front room just in time to catch Reese pulling the door open. She wanted to say something, but the words weren't coming to her. So she watched him leave, Reese giving her one last look before disappearing into the street.

Walking up and closing the door afterwards, Carter stood and rested her head against it; her mind trying to process all that had happened tonight, "What now?"

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><p>Reviews are welcomed and loved!<p>

I _am_ considering a sequel to this, so feedback on where I should pick up from here are very much appreciated!

*EDIT* Made some minor changes, and adjusted some things since "Identity Crisis". Also a sequel to this is being written, but bear with me, I'm a slow writer and a busy college student entering finals week. :D


	2. When It's Complicated

You all waited for a very long time and finally it's here! The long awaited sequel to When It Rains! I am terribly sorry for making you all wait, but I had many internet problems and was busy being a college student. XD

I hope you all enjoy this, and oh yes, there is a third installment in the works (it's currently in the gestation phase).

Disclaimer: I do not own Person of Interest. If I did, Creese would have happened by now. ;)

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><p><strong>When It's Complicated<strong>

It had occupied her brain for four days; images from that night flashing through her mind like a never-ending movie reel. She couldn't get it out of her head: the kiss that almost happened and the one that did. For a while, she knew there was something between them, an attraction, but she had always left it alone. She and Reese's relationship was just professional. However, since that night, it was becoming clear that it wasn't. A professional didn't spend hours daydreaming about their partner while they were at work—a problem Carter was dealing with today.

Sitting at her desk with her pen poised against her paperwork, Carter stared off into space, barely noticing the excitement erupting in the station as police officers began packing their gear and heading for the doors.

"Carter…Carter? CARTER!"

Jerking back to reality via a violent pen scratch to her paper, Carter cursed and looked across her desk at Fusco, "What?"

"Don't tell me all this doesn't have your attention, Carter," Fusco pointed out and gestured toward the policemen rushing past.

"What's going on," asked Carter.

"No idea," Fusco said, getting to his feet, "but it won't take me long to find out."

Carter chuckled and watched him leave; looking to return back to work, but a familiar phone began to ring. An uneasy feeling then churned inside her stomach, her hand gripping her pen as the phone continued to ring. Cursing once more under her breath, she retrieved the phone from the drawer and answered it, "Please tell me you're not the cause of this."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Detective, but I need your help," the voice of Reese's friend, Finch, replied from the other line. "Mr. Reese has gotten himself into a very difficult situation and is in need of someone to get him out of it."

"And let me guess…that someone is me," Carter asked, her tone weary as she rested her forehead on her free hand. "Was I your first choice?"

"Detective Carter, you are our only choice," Finch replied.

"Where is he?"

"Not too far from the station," Finch explained, "and if you leave now you might be able to beat your fellow officers from getting there first."

"What the hell did he _do_?" Carter yelled into the phone, and jumped to her feet, grabbing her coat as she shoved her badge into the inside pocket of her suit jacket. She then placed her gun in its holster around her shoulders, and quickly left out the station's doors.

It was pouring rain when Carter walked outside, the wet drops beating down on her as she travelled toward the parking lot, "Well?"

"I'm afraid it's a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time," Finch finally replied. "I'm sure you understand that much, Detective."

Climbing into her patrol car, Carter revved up its engine, "Where is he?"

"The last signal I picked up was near Holiday Ave at Greendale Apartments—third floor. Good luck, Detective," Finch answered, and hung up.

"Close to the station my ass. That's at least six blocks away from here," Carter replied, slightly frustrated.

Tossing the phone into the back of her car, she pulled rapidly out of the parking lot and sped down the street. She was nervous, worried, and angry all at once. This wasn't how she pictured her return.

"He's injured," Carter said slowly, and without hesitation flipped on her car's siren.

She found Greendale Apartments near the corner of the street; it looking to be a rundown apartment complex marked to be condemned. Turning off her siren, Carter eased her car into a well hidden back street. She was thinking ahead; even hurriedly pulling on her bulletproof vest as an extra precaution. Climbing out of her car, Carter rounded the large building to its front, seeing several parked patrol cars. Flashing her badge to one of the officers, and hoping he was a rookie, she asked, "What's the situation?"

"We're executing a takedown and recovery. Some of our under covers got trapped when a third party unexpectedly got involved," the officer explained, gesturing toward the building. "Are you part of the backup?"

"All hands were called in," Carter lied, taking out her gun. "The remaining officers outside are to secure the area."

The officer leveled Carter with a gaze, a glimmer of doubt in his eyes as he contemplated letting her through. Carter didn't blame him. Her lie wasn't good. But she was betting on the happenchance that he would overlook it, and stood her ground as she took the safety off her gun.

"They're all on the third floor; a group just went in minutes ago," the officer said, and allowed Carter to pass.

Relieved that the lie worked, Carter entered the apartment building quietly, pressing herself against a nearby wall to get to the stairwell. Two officers stood near the elevators, but none of them thought of securing the stairs. Slipping into the stairway, she climbed the metal steps as fast as she could, reaching the third floor in a matter of minutes. Using the heavy door as coverage, Carter walked onto the floor and aimed her gun.

"Well isn't this familiar..."

Pointing her gun toward the voice, Carter's face fell at what she saw. The floor was littered with fallen bodies and at the center of them sat Reese holding his left shoulder and sporting a bloodied forehead. He was sweaty and breathing heavily, resting his tired gaze on her as she made her way toward him.

"What happened," Carter whispered harshly as she tilted his head back to examine the wound on his forehead.

"Just a little case of mistaken identity," Reese told, his tone light in spite of the state he was in. "And don't worry, your fellow officers are only wounded and unconscious."

"You should be so lucky," Carter said, frowning. "Where are the dealers?"

"Taken care of," he said, but then smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Carter."

She rolled her eyes, "I wish I could say the same to you."

"Oh, that really hurts," he continued to tease, but winced when Carter pressed her fingers into one of his ankles.

"Come on. We can't stay here," Carter told, and with his uninjured arm draped over her shoulder, she guided them toward the stairway.

The descent down was difficult, but after some careful maneuvering, Carter managed to reach the ground floor again. Taking a deep breath, Carter called out to the two officers still by the elevator, "We need more backup! We have injured officers on the third floor!"

"What happened?"

"Who's this guy?"

"One of the under covers," Carter lied once again. "But the others need emergency assistance! _Now_!"

Following her orders, the two officers disappeared into the stairwell, signaling to the officers outside that the situation had gotten worse. Finding an emergency exit on the far right, Carter shoved them through the metal door, triggering the alarm. Pumping on pure adrenaline alone, she hobbled through the pouring rain with Reese until they reached the back street to her car.

Opening the car's passenger side door, Carter made quick work of getting Reese situated in his seat, being mindful of his injuries as she buckled him in. She then jumped into the driver's seat and sped off, not knowing where she could go, but wanting to get as far away from Greendale as possible.

"Finch called you," Reese said suddenly, and out of the corner of her eye, Carter saw him staring out the window.

"He's the one that led me here," Carter said. "But let's not drift off topic here. How are you going to get fixed?"

"You can take me to my place," he said, exhaling. "I have provisions there, but I'll need a hand. I tried digging the bullet out of my shoulder while I was waiting for you, but it's in pretty deep."

"Lucky me," Carter joked, but gripped the stirring wheel. "Where do you live?"

"At Wesson Apartments, near Bullitt Street," Reese explained and lifted his right hand to the left. "You'll make a left here and—"

"You're fine, I know where it is," Carter said and turned left down the street. "It's not far from the station…not that I'm surprised."

He chuckled, "What better way to hide than in plain sight?"

"Even though you may have a point, please be careful," Carter replied, not being able to hide the concern in her voice.

"Didn't know you cared, Carter," he teased, but something told Carter he was genuinely surprised that she did.

"Well I—how did you get an apartment," she asked, changing the subject. "Last time I checked you weren't holding any payable jobs."

"Though what I do doesn't require payment, and I'm usually just fine squatting, Finch thought it necessary to give me a place to stay," Reese explained, shifting in his seat. "It isn't much, but—Hello Finch."

Without needing to ask, Carter knew somehow Reese's friend had made contact with them again. She sat there in silence, trying to keep herself from overhearing the conversation. However, curiosity got the best of her and she listened in anyway.

"Yes it's done—the police can handle it for now—yes—I'm well aware of that _Finch_," Reese went on, and by the tone of his voice, he was irritated. "It won't happen—I'm glad you have so much faith in me, but I know what I'm doing—suit yourself."

Sensing the conversation was over, Carter jokingly asked, "Anything I need to worry about?"

"Everything is fine," he answered, but even though she wasn't looking at him, something told her he was frustrated. With what, she couldn't tell, but it was certainly something to take note of.

Finally pulling into the small parking lot of Wesson Apartments, Carter was surprise to see how conservative the complex was. It was a single tall light brown brownstone building, stained with aged but gentle in wear.

Itching to know, Carter asked, "Do you live in a flat?"

"Not by choice," Reese told, and through pain, he shrugged his shoulders. "I could have dealt with one much smaller. I actually prefer it."

"Well aren't we modest," Carter teased and quickly climbed out the car.

Jogging through the rain to get to the other side, she pulled the passenger side door open and helped Reese get out. She expected to help him to the building as she did at Greendale, but was waved off when she tried to grab his hand. Frowning, she asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. I've been through worst," Reese told, opening the door to the apartment building for Carter. "Ladies first."

"Do you ever stop charming?"

"Not if I can help it."

Carter smiled, and entered the building. The floors were laid with stone and polished to a reflective shine with the walls painted a light soft brown. A beautiful light fixture hung from the ceiling while one wall was devoted to a very large oil painting. Silvered elevators stood on the opposite wall, giving Carter a full view of how messy she looked since leaving the station. Her clothes were soaked from the rain, hanging heavily on her body while her hair stuck unattractively to her face.

"Are you there, Carter," Reese's voice rang out.

Snapping out of it, Carter turned around with a questioning look. Smirking, Reese nodded his head toward the elevator, "The elevator…"

"Oh yeah…that," she spoke, feeling an inch of embarrassment creep onto her face. She had spaced out again, and this time her mind was occupied with how she looked. Out of all the things to think about, why was her appearance the most important?

"Get it together, Joss," she huffed to herself and pushed the up button to the elevator.

Instantly, an elevator was made free, Carter following behind Reese as they climbed onto the confine yet bright space.

"It's the tenth floor," Reese told.

"The top floor," Carter asked raising an eyebrow.

"Don't sound so surprised. The top floor holds its advantages."

"Not to mention its expenses…"

Hitting the tenth floor button, Carter pulled back and rested against the wall. The effort of carrying Reese around had finally caught up with her. She was panting from the exertion, bracing her hands against the banister around the elevator as she tried to calm herself down.

"You okay, Carter?" Reese questioned his voice so near she visibly shivered.

"I'm fine…just getting tired and cold," she admitted with a laugh. "But like you, I've been through worst."

"In Iraq," Reese asked gently, and once again Carter shivered, but not from the cold.

She gulped, not entirely sure how she felt about him knowing, "I…"

"You don't have to tell me," he assured, his voice returning to its normal tone. "I was just curious."

The elevator slowed then, coming to a complete stop and sliding its doors open. Following Reese off the elevator, Carter entered a hallway holding three doors. They walked to the last door to the right, Reese digging through his coat pocket for his set of keys. Once found, he opened the apartment's door and guided Carter inside. She wasn't surprise to find the lights off inside the apartment, knowing full well a man like Reese hardly took a day of rest. However, she was amazed to see how roomy it was.

"You know, you can see it better with the lights on," Reese told, and suddenly the apartment was lit.

For a place so large, it was hardly lived in, with very few furniture sitting in what should be the living room. Nothing was personalized; the walls were white washed and bare of any framed photos while a single brown couch sat in the living room area before a coffee table, covered in what Carter noticed were tools to clean a gun. The floors were still clean, and the kitchen seemingly untouched. A small, dark hallway nearby might lead to a bathroom while a framing wall on the opposite end shielded his bedroom: a single large bed sitting next to a large wooden nightstand. It all faced a wall dedicated to window space, giving Carter a view of the city's glittering outside. It was everything she imagined an ex-military man's apartment to be, minus how expensive it was.

Turning to him, she asked, "Are you okay to stand on your own?"

"I'm fine," he grunted, shrugging out of both his soaked coat and suit jacket. The wound to his shoulder was made more visible then, a nasty gunshot to his shoulder staining his once white dress shirt red.

"How deep is it in there," Carter questioned as she herself pulled off her wet coat and bullet proof vest.

"It's in there," Reese answered nonchalantly, and began to unbutton is dress shirt. "Are you squeamish?"

"No," she said, rolling up her sleeves.

He chuckled and pointed to the kitchen, "You'll find what you'll need in there."

Entering the small kitchen, Carter searched through several drawers until she found one full of medical supplies. Taking out what she needed, she put them onto a table in the kitchen and called Reese over. He came into the kitchen bare-chested; revealing an expansion of skin she truly wasn't prepared to see. Swallowing down her silly nerves, she brought him to the small table and sat him in the single chair beside it.

With careful concentration and gentle direction from Reese, Carter pulled the slug from his shoulder and dressed his wound, finding his willingness to allow her to do so somewhat courageous. He barely pulled a face when the bullet was pulled out, grunting in slight discomfort but nothing more. The old scars on and around his chest proved how much he's endured; Carter briefly spotted the injury Snow's partner had given him as she finished taping his shoulder.

"They're just old wounds, Joss," he replied suddenly, pulling Carter's attention back. "I'm still here."

"Barely," Carter said with a small laugh and began cleaning the cut on his forehead.

For a brief moment, she had cared more than she ought to, the feeling sending her into a panic as she pressed her fingers hard into Reese's forehead. He hissed loudly in response, and grabbed her waist, his hold so strong it took Carter all she had not to yell out in pain herself.

"Sorry," she replied, retracting her hands from his face when he released her. "I didn't mean—."

"It's okay," he chuckled, staring at her playfully. "It's been a long day for both of us. You're tired. It's okay."

"Actually, it's not," Carter said rather softly before adding stubbornly. "I'm going to regret this…"

Leaning forward, she kissed him; the kiss firm but brief as she allowed herself one moment of recklessness. However, when she began to pull away, hands were moved around her waist with Reese capturing her lips for another kiss. There was no option to stop now, and if there was, Carter doubted she would have taken it. Pulling her down into his lap, Reese coaxed her mouth open, his tongue sliding inside her mouth to meet her own.

She wanted more—needed more, but like a bad itch that wouldn't go away, Carter was pestered into recalling where she was. So, with some reluctance, Carter broke the kiss between them. Unfortunately, it only seemed to entice Reese even more. He followed her lips as she moved back, and kissed her again; his fingers teasing the hem of her damp shirt and grazing the skin his found underneath.

"John," she said between kisses, trying to regain some focus. "John…John…John!"

Grabbing his face, she forced him away from her lips. He stared at her with a dazed look in his eyes, fighting to return to reality as she climbed off him. He appeared confused, almost agitated, and that worried Carter.

"I…I have to go," she said, straightening herself up. "Don't take this—if I stay any longer I'm going to get into even more trouble than I'm already in. What I did was risky, and…if you—I mean, if you two want me on board, I have to at least maintain my job."

She knew she was rambling, but there was no other way to explain it. In truth, Carter desperately wanted this to continue, but the timing was off. He was injured and she was stripped for time. However, wanting to let him know that he did nothing wrong, she boldly leaned forward and kissed him one last time, lingering for a brief moment before whispering, "I have to go."

"Leaving a man like this—what a cruel punishment," Reese finally spoke, his voice thick but laced with humor. Carter watched him grin lazily at her, but quickly turned away when he licked his lips. The gesture was ridiculous, yet it made her heart beat rapidly inside her chest.

"Well…that's for three days ago," she said and made her way out of the kitchen.

Grabbing her coat and throwing it on, Carter couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips as she left Reese's apartment. In spite of how complicated their relationship just got, she frighteningly liked it. So much tension was let loose in one kiss, she briefly wondered what would have happened if she had stayed.

* * *

><p>So there it is! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Reviews are welcomed and very much appreciated!<p>

PS: Thanks for Liz (from Tumblr) for beta-ing this! She's so good to me!


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